ISLE OF MAN BRANCH REPORT OF THE CHAIR AND STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR 2002 - 2003 COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION ISLE OF MAN BRANCH REPORT OF THE CHAIR FOR THE YEAR 2002-2003 1. INTRODUCTION The Branch has continued to play a full and active part in the affairs of the Association. The Executive Committee has taken the action to ascertain what Members want from the CPA and to try to encourage more involvement and participation, as follows - a. A questionnaire was sent to all Members in 2002 and the report of the results and recommendations was issued in December 2002. b. A notice board has been set up in the Members' Room and the Tynwald Website now includes a section on the CPA. c. Twice-yearly newsletters are to be issued and the first was sent out in December 2002. d. A Publishing Sub-Committee has been set up and is preparing brief booklets which Members can distribute when visiting other CPA countries. The Sub-Committee is also considering methods of increasing awareness of the CPA in schools. e. Work has commenced on building up an audio library so that radio programmes can be broadcast to promote awareness and encourage Chamber visits. f. Luncheon presentations to members are now arranged for delegates to recent Conferences, Seminars etc to report back to other Members. As a consequence of this new procedure, brief written reports of Conferences etc are included in this Annual Report and the large Annual Conferences Report has not been issued this year. The feedback we have received is that very few Members used to read the Annual Conferences Report and very much prefer to attend the verbal presentations, where they have the opportunity to have discussions with the delegates. g. The Committee has made every effort to comply with Rule 10(a) of the Branch Rules which states that “the Executive Committee shall be required to maintain a programme with the object of affording each ordinary member of the branch the opportunity to participate in at least 2 one conference, seminar, study tour or other parliamentary visit during the life of that House of Keys”. In the period from the 2001 General Election to the end of 2002, 15 Members attended CPA Conferences, Seminars and Parliamentary visits, and only one of those Members has attended 2 events. 2. CONFERENCES 2.1 33rd Regional Conference : Wales : 8th to 12th April 2002 The 33rd Conference of the British Islands and Mediterranean Region took place in Cardiff from 8th to 12th April 2002. Hrs H Hannan MHK (leader of the delegation), Hon C M Christian MLC, Mr P Karran MHK and Mr G H Waft MLC were the delegates and Mrs M Cullen, Assistant Secretary of the Branch, attended as Secretary of the delegation. Other delegations represented the parliaments of Alderney, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, Malta, Northern Ireland, Scotland, St Helena, the United Kingdom and Wales. The topics discussed were - (1) Public Participation in the Democratic Process (2) The Impact of the Euro (3) Managing Waste to Protect the Environment (4) Tourism as a Sector of the Economy The verbatim report has been published and is available from the Assistant Secretary. The Regional Meeting which took place at this Conference was chaired by Hon Mario Galea MP, the Senior Regional Representative on the Executive. Also on the panel for that meeting were the other Region al Representatives Cheryl Gillan (UK) and Richard Cockwell (Falklands), Regional Representative and the Secretary to the Region, Andrew Pearson. The minutes of the meeting held in Canberra on 10th September 2001 were approved and, under matters arising, the Isle of Man delegation raised the issue of the item which had been adjourned from that meeting regarding the representation in the British Island and Mediterranean Region on the Executive. The Regional Representatives put forward their thoughts about why the matter had not been placed on this agenda. However, the meeting queried Standing Orders and how it had been decided that this issue would not appear on the agenda. It transpired that there are no Standing Orders or Constitution for the Region. Scotland suggested setting up a working party to look at a possible Constitution or Standing Orders and also representation on the Executive. The following proposal was put forward by Scotland: “To set up a working party to look at whether the Region has a need for a separate Constitution and Standing Orders, 3 to draft that Constitution and Standing Orders if needed, and to review in the process the issue of regional representation”. With overwhelming agreement for that motion and as the discussion had gone on rather a long time it was decided to adjourn the meeting until the following morning. However, when the meeting had been reconvened the motion put forward in written form was: “To set up a working party to look at whether the Region has a need for a separate constitution and Standing Orders”. There was obvious consternation at this being placed before us. Scotland even suggested a walk out. However, Keith Raffan of Scotland was extremely forceful, as it was he that had proposed the motion the night before and he had dictated it in very slow and deliberate terms so that the people taking the motion down would have the whole of the motion before them in very simple terms. Keith saw that the motion was redrafted properly and so the meeting continued, with the membership on the working party agreed as follows: Wales, UK, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Mann, Guernsey and Cyprus. Wales were extremely pleased with the outcome and even mentioned the outcome in the final comments, seeing it as a major step forward, that this issue had at last been recognised and would in fact be looked at. The Branch Executive Committee agreed that Mrs Hannan would be the Isle of Man representative and the Report of the Working Party is shortly to be finalised and will be considered at the 2003 Regional conference. Further details on the Conference and copies of the verbatim report are available from the Assistant Secretary. 2.2 22nd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference of Members from Small Countries : Walvis Bay, Namibia : 4th to 7th September 2002 The Isle of Man was represented at this Conference by Mr E G Lowey MLC and Mr L R Singer MHK. Mrs H Hannan MHK attended as observer and Mrs M Cullen, Assistant Secretary of the Branch, attended as Secretary of the delegation. The topics discussed were - Plenary Session: Empowering Small Commonwealth Countries to Preserve their Sovereignty Workshops: The Place of Small Countries in the International Trading System Sustainable Management of Marine Resources in Small States Parliamentary Systems in Small States: What works? Mr Lowey was chosen as the delegate to report back on behalf of the Small Countries Conference to the Plenary Conference. 4 A presentation to Members on this Conferences was held on 12th November 2002. Reports on the discussions are in The Parliamentarian, 2003/ Issue One and further details on the Conference are available from the Assistant Secretary. 2.3 48th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference : Windhoek : 8th to 14th September 2002 The Isle of Man was represented at this Conference by Mr E G Lowey MLC and Mr L R Singer MHK. Mrs H Hannan MHK attended as observer and Mrs M Cullen, Assistant Secretary of the Branch, attended as Secretary of the delegation The topics discussed were - Plenary Session: The Role of Democracy in Promoting Regional and Global Security Workshops: Parliaments and Policies to Reduce Poverty and Enhance Human Security Combating Terrorism: The Role of Parliaments Policies to Prevent the Spread of HIV/ AIDS: Successes and Failures Defending Democratic Principles to Preserve Social Stability The Role of Women Parliamentarians in Conflict Resolution The Digital Divide and the Threat of Cyber-Terrorism: Challenges and Solutions (Mrs Cullen was appointed Secretary for this Workshop) In addition, Mrs Hannan attended a meeting of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians and Mrs Cullen attended workshops on parliamentary administration organised by the Society of Clerks-at-the-Table. Mrs Hannan was also one of four delegates who stood for Chair of the Executive Committee. The successful candidate was Bob Speller of Canada. A presentation to Members on this Conferences was held on 12th November 2002. Reports on the discussions are in The Parliamentarian, 2003/ Issue One and further details on the Conference are available from the Assistant Secretary. 2.4 Wilton Park Conference : 10th to 14th June 2002 This Conference was attended by The Hon Tony Brown SHA and the theme of the Conference was "Enhancing Good Governance by Curbing Corruption". Mr Brown reports "I had the pleasure of being selected to attend the Wilton Park Conference, a conference that is held annually to enable parliamentarians from all over the Commonwealth to come together to discuss in detail matters of importance to them and the Commonwealth countries. 5 The manor house, Wiston House, where the conference was held, is a former historical stately home now owned by the Commonwealth and Foreign Office of the United Kingdom Government and is set in its own grounds Wilton Park, being some miles from the nearest village. The conference was well attended by Parliaments from throughout the Commonwealth and the usual friendships developed as the conference progressed. The subject for the Conference was: “Enhancing Good Governance by Curbing Corruption” The main guest speaker was His Excellency President Olusegun Obasanjo, the President of Nigeria, and he attended the conference on Wednesday 12th June. However there was a delay in starting the session that mornin g as there was a very important world event being broadcast on television; the event was one of the football World Cup heats and the game on this occasion was between Nigeria and England.